Marrakech → Merzouga → Marrakech
Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour
The classic round trip: over the High Atlas, down the kasbah road to the dunes of Erg Chebbi, and back to Marrakech by a different valley.
This is the route most travellers have in mind when they ask about the Moroccan desert.
You leave Marrakech in the morning and climb the Tizi n'Tichka pass across the High Atlas. Aït Ben Haddou, the UNESCO-listed earthen kasbah, comes before lunch; Ouarzazate, the Skoura palm grove and the Dades valley fill the rest of the first day. The next morning takes you through the Todra gorges and on to Merzouga, where you enter the dunes by camel or 4x4 for a night at the camp.
We run this route over three, four and five days. They share the same spine — the difference is how much time you spend out of the vehicle.
On this route
- — Tizi n'Tichka pass across the High Atlas
- — Aït Ben Haddou and the Ouarzazate kasbahs
- — Skoura oasis and the Dades valley
- — Todra gorges
- — Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes
- — A night at a desert camp
Choose your length
Options for this route
Frequently asked
Three, four or five days — which should I choose?
Three days is the shortest way to reach the dunes and return, with two long driving days. Four days adds breathing room in the valleys. Five days is the most relaxed, with more time in the desert and on the kasbah road.
Where do we sleep?
A night in the Dades valley on the way south and a night at a desert camp in the dunes, with the exact arrangement listed on each tour page.
Is the tour private?
Yes for the private routes, which is most of them. Where a departure is shared, the tour card says so.
Plan your trip to Merzouga
Tell us your dates, your pace and what matters to you. We reply personally with a tailored proposal.